The present invention relates to a driver/receiver board used for batch testing or burn-in of electronic components on tester burn-in boards (called test boards) that includes a nonvolatile memory for storing calibration data for each of the outputs of the driver/receiver board to eliminate the need for separate calibration each time the driver/receiver board is used.
Batch tester burn-in board systems are used for testing circuit packaging, primarily for digital devices, such as various integrated circuits. The batch test or burn-in systems generally will have a driver/receiver board which will couple to a board mounting the circuits or components to be tested, and will provide a sequence of test signals to each of the circuits. It is important in the test that each of the output signals from the driver/receiver board to each of the circuits or components being tested on the burn-in board is initiated at a precise time, and while this can be calibrated in control computers, calibration each time the driver/receiver board is used slows the test process.
A typical batch test or burn-in board system is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,900,948. It includes an environmental chamber, a computer control, and connectors for connecting driver/receiver boards to the burn-in boards on which the circuits or components to be tested are mounted.
Batch testing of components on a separate board involves testing each component, as with burn-in systems. However, the test is shorter and the temperature is about 70.degree. C. instead of 125.degree. C. for burn-in boards. The present invention works with either batch testing or burn-in test systems.
It is desirable to increase the speed with which tests are performed in order to reduce the overall time needed and the costs involved. One way of increasing the speed of a test is to have the calibration time substantially reduced so that a greater percentage of the time involved in an overall test is in the actual testing of the circuits or components on the burn-in board.